


stand tall

by DangerousLiaisons



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Boyfriends, Cute, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Boyfriends, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Height Differences, M/M, i just want hades to be a good dad, these two are so cute they’re gonna kill me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28249644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DangerousLiaisons/pseuds/DangerousLiaisons
Summary: thanatos doesn’t like how hades speaks to zagreus, some cute things and developments ensue
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 190





	stand tall

“I don’t like the way he speaks to you,” Thanatos says.

“It’s okay. It’s not anything new,” Zagreus replies.

They had just slain a room of foes together in Elysium, and Thanatos now paces, or floats, around as Zagreus sits and catches his breath. His boyfriend’s scythe rests across his lap and he cleans off the blade.

“I wish I could stop him. You deserve a better father. He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” the god of death mutters.

Zagreus smiles softly at that last part. “It’s really okay, Than. Come sit with me.”

Thanatos stops moving and mulls over his repetitive thoughts. What to do about the lord of the underworld speaking so dreadfully to his own son? The son who Thanatos tends, more often than not, to protect with everything he has.

“Than?” Zagreus repeats.

Thanatos hums, and Zagreus grabs his hand and guides him sit next to him.

“What’s going on?” Zagreus continues. “Why the new interest in how he speaks to me?”

Thanatos shrugs. “I suppose I’m not frequently there when the two of you interact. And on the chance that I am, I don’t like what I hear.”

Zagreus brushes a strand of hair off the god of death’s face. Thanatos looks off into the distance, contemplating his still cyclical thoughts.

“Than,” Zagreus hums.

Thanatos raises an eyebrow.

“Than,” Zagreus says again, tilting his boyfriend’s chin towards him. Thanatos finally makes eye contact. “You are the love of my life.”

Thanatos cracks a smile. “Yeah?”

Zagreus nods certainly. “Or love of my afterlife. My death. My eternity. My everything.”

“Your everything,” Thanatos repeats, leaning in for a kiss, fingertips gently on Zagreus’ chin. “You’re the love of my everything, too, Zag.”

Zagreus hums, eyes closed.

“And because of that fact, I can’t stand by while your father speaks to you like that.” Thanatos takes his scythe and stands up, floating again.

“Ugh, Than,” Zagreus whines. “Let it go. For me?”

Thanatos gazes down into his lover’s eyes. “So short,” he says.

Zagreus scoffs. “I am not.”

Thanatos pats his head. “I love you very much, Zagreus.”

And with that, he disappears.

Zagreus rolls his eyes. ”Love you too, Than,” he mutters. He sighs and continues on his journey.

Thanatos poofs into their room later and finds Zagreus on the bed, pouting, plucking at the strings of the lyre. They’re off key and mournful.

After he leans his scythe on the wall and removes his garments until he’s just in his pants, mirroring his lover’s appearance, he climbs on the bed and puts his hands on Zagreus’ shoulders, massaging every tired muscle.

Zagreus whines and melts into his boyfriend’s cool  
embrace.

“Tell me,” Thanatos hums.

It takes a moment, but Zagreus begins to speak after finding the right words.

“All the ways you show me love,” Zagreus says softly. “They come so naturally to you.”

“Of course,” Thanatos says. “You’re mine forever — I like to make sure you know that.”

Zagreus nods. “I hope you feel that same kind of love from me. I don’t want to end up like my father.”

Of all the things Zagreus has said since Thanatos has known him — when they were kids and Zagreus said he wanted to try to get Cerberus to burn the house down, when they got older and Zagreus said he wanted to find his mother, when Zagreus planned to leave without saying goodbye — this was what surprised him the most.

Zagreus holds his hand over his eyes as tears fall, as each drop slides down his fingers and lands with a catastrophic ripple on the ground.

“Oh, Zag,” Thanatos says, holding him tight. “What made you think of this?”

“I’m just scared,” he sobs, “scared I’ll one day have all his burdens and fury and be the same. What if I talk to my kids the same way?”

Thanatos sighs. “You do know these thoughts are irrational, right?”

Zagreus shrugs.

“Well, first, they’ll be _our_ kids, meaning I’ll be with you every step of the way to help you through anything. But you do know that even without me, even without anyone in the cosmos, you would still never end up like him. It’s not who you are, Zagreus.”

The god of blood slowly wipes his tears and looks at the god of death.

“Than,” Zagreus sighs. “Such a way with words. Thank you, truly.”

Thanatos nods. “You’re a kind soul, Zag. You help people. That’s who you are. Gods know you’ve helped me feel more comfortable with myself.”

“You’re my world,” Zagreus says.

“My everything,” Thanatos whispers back.

When Zagreus wakes up, Thanatos isn’t beside him, which he has proclaimed several times is his least favorite way to wake up.

He finds his clothes strewn about on the floor and redresses himself before heading out to the main hall, hoping Thanatos hasn’t left for his duties yet.

He stops in his tracks when he hears his father’s typical anger, wafting through the halls like the smell of burnt chrustacean. It’s different this time, though. There’s an added monotony to the conversation. A monotonous voice that Zagreus fell in love with long ago.

The god of blood hides around the corner and eavesdrops on the aggression being flung back and forth. What adds to this jarring scenario is that Thanatos is not hovering as normal, but instead his feet are planted on the ground.

“I expect this kind of insolence from Zagreus; it’s absurd to hear it coming from you of all the souls down here,” Hades' voice echoes quietly. Zagreus can almost picture his father’s eyes scaring away anyone who dares to listen.

“That is my point exactly,” Thanatos says back, calm as ever. “Zagreus is my soulmate, and I won’t stand by and let him take such assaults from you.”

“ _Soulmate_ ,” Hades’ voice roars low enough to rumble the walls. “Come with me.” Hades stands from his chair and walks to Thanatos, towering over him.

Thanatos stands his ground.

“You too, boy,” Hades growls.

Zagreus feels a shiver down his spine and peaks his head out to see the two looking in his direction. He follows them into the study, and his father shuts the door abruptly.

“Zagreus,” Hades says in such a way that his son’s guts churn. “Putting these petulant ideas in the god of death’s head will completely throw off the balance I’ve worked for.”

“Petulant ideas?” Thanatos spits back. “I’m irreversibly bonded with your son, and that’s how you choose to label it?”

“I have no interest in your bond with anything besides your duties,” Hades huffs. “Whatever he’s insisting you say to me is only a hindrance.”

Zagreus had heard about how mortals deal with a pesky problem called ‘nausea.’ And now he knows what it feels like, holding his stomach tight.

“Zagreus didn’t _insist_ I say anything to you. He _insisted_ the opposite, that I keep my mouth shut,” Thanatos says. “I am choosing to speak with you out of respect for my boyfriend. And out of respect for you, Lord Hades. Being a loving father to your son should not be a negotiation.”

“You best bite your tongue, child. You should feel fortunate of your value in this realm. Otherwise I’d send you off,” Hades hisses.

Zagreus can see the ever so slight clench of Thanatos’ jaw. “What will get through to you? His tears? His countless deaths? Not Nyx and perhaps not even Persephone at this point, I suppose.”

“Watch your tongue! You have no liberty to speak her name,” Hades roars.

Thanatos narrows his eyes.

“You waste away your life every second you speak down to him. You have the power of one hundred gods at your fingertips and yet you choose to berate your own flesh and blood. You choose to be the latest in a line of terrible fathers. Perhaps you’re powerless after all.”

Zagreus has never been one to fear his father. He’s always been one to actively antagonize him, actually. But with such unpredictable words coming from Thanatos’ mouth, Zagreus has never seen his father so off-guard and unhinged.

Even now, as Hades reels silently from Thanatos’ proclamation, Zagreus can’t help but feel the slightest bit of fear for what could happen.

“Come on, Zagreus. He’s not worth our time if he’s not willing to listen,” Thanatos says.

Zagreus nods. Long ago he accepted that he’d have a bad father for eternity. His stomach twists in knots for slipping up and having the slightest glimmer of hope for change.

“All I’ve ever wanted is truth and respect from you, Father,” Zagreus says before exiting. “Love ceased to cross my mind a long time ago.”

“I love you, Zagreus,” Thanatos says once they're back in their room. His lover nestles under the blankets and hides himself from the world, failing to hold back sobs.

“I’m very sorry for upsetting you.” Thanatos offers his hand to Zagreus’ fingers that peak out from the sheets. Zagreus grabs them.

“I hate him,” Zagreus says.

“I’ll talk to him as much as possible, I’ll never say another thing about it to him — whatever you want, sweetheart,” the god of death soothes.

“I want to stop crying over him,” Zagreus sulks.

“What does your mother say when you see her?” Thanatos asks.

Zagreus shrugs. “She’s critical, of course, but what can she do from up there?”

“See if she has any advice, alright?” Thanatos says, pulling the sheets away to see Zagreus, who nods. Thanatos sighs. “I’m sorry, Zag.”

“I’m not mad at you, Than. It felt nice to have you stand up for me,” Zagreus says. “I only wish he would listen.”

Thanatos sighs again. “Me too.”

The next time Zagreus dies in battle and comes back to the main hall, he sees Thanatos talking to his brother, Hypnos clearly annoying him. Noticeably, Hades doesn’t seem to care about any of their presences.

“I don’t care to repeat it for the trillionth time, brother, but not a soul, living or dead, has permission to lay a hand on my scythe. That includes you, especially,” Thanatos scoffs.

“Not even—”

“Hey, Zag,” Thanatos smiles softly. Zagreus shakes the roughness off himself and walks over to them.

“Zagreus! I was just asking my brother, here—”

“How was this run?” Thanatos asks, cutting Hypnos off again. He places a hand softly on his boyfriend’s cheek.

Zagreus shrugs.

“Sorry I wasn’t there, I got caught up,” Thanatos rolls his eyes at Hypnos. “Next time,” he winks and kisses Zagreus softly on the forehead.

Zagreus smiles. “Be nice to your brother,” he teases.

Thanatos scoffs.

“Zagreus,” Hades suddenly calls. “I request your presence.”

Zagreus raises an eyebrow. Thanatos shrugs.

As he approaches his father’s desk, he prepares himself for a lecture. And for the first time, he finds himself feeling small.

“I am well aware that you have no intentions to stop reaching your mother,” Hades begins.

“No, I don’t,” Zagreus softly agrees.

“Very well. I happened upon this necklace your mother crafted for me a very long time ago.” Hades doesn’t look up from his notes or gesture, but Zagreus sees the necklace on the desk.

It’s simple — an iron black swirly design keeps safe the ruby in the center. Zagreus can’t picture his father wearing it.

“It reduces pain from injuries,” Hades continues. “Ever so slightly.” He takes a breath. “I think you should have it.”

Zagreus, still standing, takes a step back out of exasperation. A gift from his father, the world must be ending.

“Keep it?” Zagreus asks.

Hades sighs deeply and puts his quill down. He looks at his son surely. “Yes, Zagreus.”

Zagreus takes the necklace and holds it tightly in the palm of his hand.

“Thank you, Father.”

Hades nods.

Zagreus waits a few moments, clinging to the necklace, before he turns back to Thanatos and Hypnos, who he sees are now gone. No one is particularly in the vicinity or within hearing distance anymore, not even the common shades.

He finds them in the dining hall, chatting and seemingly getting along.

“Well, what happened?” Thanatos asks after Zagreus remains speechless for a few moments.

“He gave me a necklace,” Zagreus says.

“A necklace? What kind? Can I see it?” Hypnos berates him.

“Hypnos,” Thanatos says firmly. “Be gone.”

Hypnos sulks and slinks away back to his post, grumbling about Thanatos’ changed demeanor.

“It helps not feel so much pain from injuries.”

“Wow.” Thanatos’ tone fluctuates for once to indicate genuine surprise. “I guess something got through to him.”

“I guess so,” Zagreus smiles softly.

Thanatos smiles back, equally as soft.

“I’m not so short,” Zagreus says quietly but surely.

Thanatos nods in agreement. “Not at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading !!!!!


End file.
